Harry Potter Returns in a New Story From J.K. Rowling

Harry Potter is pushing 34 and he has “a couple threads of silver” in his black hair, according to a new story from J.K. Rowling.

It’s the first time Rowling has written about the characters since “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” wrapped up her seven-novel series about the boy wizard. The piece — written as a gossip column from the Daily Prophet’s Rita Skeeter — appears on Pottermore, Rowling’s website for all things Potter. In typical snarky fashion, Skeeter catches up with Harry and his other chums from Dumbledore’s Army as they reunite at the Quidditch World Cup final featuring Bulgaria, whose star player is “Goblet of Fire” supporting character Viktor Krum.

Along with the usual signs of aging and wear-and-tear, Harry — now an auror for the Ministry of Magic — is also sporting a cut on his right cheek. In the column, the notoriously snide Skeeter speculates whether the hero is “embroiled in fresh mysteries that will one day explode upon us all” or if he might be having a spot of trouble at home with his wife, Ginny.

Beyond that, the columnist cracks wise about Ron Weasley’s decision to leave the Ministry of Magic for a job at his family’s joke shop, while taking a cheap shot at his and wife Hermione Granger’s hair.

There is plenty more detail in the “column,” including updates about Neville Longbottom and Luna Lovegood. You can sign up for an account to read it at Pottermore, or you can find it on the website for NBC’s Today.com, which doesn’t require registration.

Still, does this mean we can expect Rowling to write more about the Potter crew as they get older? Maybe not. According to The Bookseller, a Rowling representative said the author has no plans to write more about grown-up Harry.

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